The name may make those familiar with the area assume that the Buckhead Brewery started in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. In fact, President Bruce Nicely opened the first of the brewpubs in Tallahassee, Fla., over seven years ago. The desire had originally been to open in the Atlanta area, but strict laws concerning brewpubs at the time made it impossible.
Gordon Biersch
Address: 848 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 870-0805
Hours: M-F 11:30 a.m. - Midnight, Sa - Su 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.
House Beers: Märzen, Dunkles (dark lager), Golden Export (golden German lager) and one seasonal brew
Website: www.gordonbiersch.com
Gordon Biersch is perhaps the most stylish of the brewpubs in the Atlanta area. The downstairs portion of the restaurant gives the impression of an old English or Irish pub by way of a trendy urban restaurant with lots of dark wood but also plenty of smooth shiny surfaces. The place is quiet, however, and far from being a bar. Upstairs you’ll find pool tables, which are generally in much better condition than typical bar or pool hall tables. There’s also a second bar serving the house beers and a banquet room.
The food, like the décor, is trendy enough to be different than typical restaurant fare, but not so avant-garde that the average patron would feel out of place. Dinner entrees range from $10 into the low $20s while lunch menu run about $8-$15.
The beers here are fairly faithful to the traditional German lagers and ales after which they are modeled. Gordon Biersch is especially good at making attractive beers. Clarity, color and head formation and retention are excellent. Those looking for more robust beers may wish to go elsewhere, however, as the German-style lagers tend to be clean, crisp and light bodied.
Hops Restaurant
(Most, if not all, Atlanta-area locations are closed)
Hours: Su-Th: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., F-Sa: 11 a.m. – Midnight (Bars may close later. Call individual locations for times.)
House Beers: Clearwater Light (light lager), Lightning Bolt Gold (American lager), Hammerhead Red (amber ale), Alligator Ale (brown ale) and a seasonal offering
Website: www.hopsonline.com
Hops has been struggling lately and most of the restaurants have closed. Their wesbite lists no Atlanta area locations. Hops is a casual dining restaurant with a fairly varied menu, ranging from steaks to pastas and salads. The lunch menu runs from about $6-$10 and dinner entrees will run you about $14. The Hops brewpubs are toward the bottom of the list when it comes to variety of beers since four of their five taps are dedicated to year-round brews. But the fan of lighter beers, especially American-style lagers, would likely feel more at home at a Hops restaurant than at some of the other area brewpubs.
Hops Restaurant - Alpharetta
Address: 5975 North Point Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA
Phone: (678) 339-1714
Hops Restaurant - Douglasville
Address: 9340 The Landing Drive, Douglasville, GA 30135
Phone: (770) 942-1470
Hops Restaurant - Duluth
Address: 3490 Gwinnett Place Dr. NW, Duluth, GA
Phone: (678) 584-0626
Hops Restaurant - Kennesaw
Address: 945 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy., Kennesaw, GA 30144
Phone: (770) 919-0434
Max Lagers
Address: 320 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 525-4400
Fax: (404) 525-4417
Hours:M-F: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sa-Su: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
House Beers: Max Pale (American pale ale), Max Gold (Bohemian pilsener), Max Red (Vienna lager) and 3 rotating brews with at least one guaranteed to be dark
Website: www.maxlagers.com
Max Lagers, despite the name, actually provides a wide range of styles in both lagers and ales, from a Bohemian Pilsner (Max Gold) to a nice stout (Max Oatmeal Stout). They actually brew an even greater variety of beverages, since Brewmaster John Roberts also makes his own root beer and cola. In addition to brewing all its own beer, Max Lagers stocks its wine cellar with products from small vintners to help ensure a trip to Max Lagers is a unique experience.
With a sizeable menu, whose entrees run the gamut from calzones to fish-and-chips and everything in between, including pasta and filet mignon, Max Lagers offers something for everyone. The service is also top-notch, with friendly staff that is more than willing to answer questions. It serves all this up in a spacious downtown location that is decorated in a style that can be described as fifties-noir or neo-industrial. The interior has loads of exposed ductwork; all the walls are red brick. The brewing equipment, which is visible from almost the entire establishment, is burnished copper with brass accents. All of this is accented by the golden lighting. The classic blues music that drifts down from the speakers is perfectly suited to the appearance of the place.
The clientele is an eclectic mix casual diners, out-of-town businessmen, and beer enthusiasts, which makes for some interesting conversations. Prices for the beer and wine are about average for the area. Prices on the dinner menu are somewhere between the prices you would expect at Applebee's and Outback, and lunch is a steal for downtown, with $7.95 blue-plate specials.
A second Max Lagers will be opening soon in Gwinnett County, near the Mall of Georgia. It is expected to be open sometime this spring.
Park Tavern
Address: 500 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 249-0001
Hours: M-F 4:30 p.m. - Midnight, Sat 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m. -Midnight
House beers: Tavern Light (American light lager), Druid Pils, Park Trail Ale (English-style pale ale), Olmsted Amber, Piedmont Porter and a rotating seasonal.
Website: www.parktavern.com
A helpful and knowledgeable wait staff are happy to provide information concerning the menu, which is extensive and varied. It covers all the bases, from calzones and steaks to trout and barbecue. The prices are a bit steep for those looking strictly for bar fare, but are well in line with comparable restaurants ($10-$20 for most of the entrees) and appropriate for the quality. Another notable feature is the Sunday Brunch menu, which provides a nice change of pace from the main menu.
The wine list is also sizeable, with vintages from a wide selection of areas, spanning three continents. The permanent house brews cover most of the popular styles (with the notable exception of a stout), and they provide a couple of bottled beers, with a guest beer on tap as well.
The patio sits on the edge of Piedmont Park with a blazing fire in the center. Inside, it’s warm, cozy and very pub-like. The combination of prices and its location overlooking the park tilt the clientele toward professional 30-somethings, although there are certainly exceptions. The patrons are much more varied on rainy days, since that’s when the beer goes from $4 to $1 per pint. As they’re quite fond of saying, “When it rains, we pour.”
The prices and cozy feel of the tavern make this a very nice place to hole up with a beer while you wait for the rain to stop. The parking is limited, however, so those arriving on a weekend evening should be prepared.
Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurant
Address: 3242 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 264-0253
Hours: Su-T 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m., F-Sa 11:30 a.m. - Midnight (The bar stays open later if business is brisk.)
House beers: 5 year-round brews and 1 seasonal
Website: N/A
The Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurant is one of Atlanta's most visible brewpubs. Located on the edge of the Buckhead district, it boasts ample parking for cars and people. The house beer covers all the major styles (light lager, regular lager, APA, IPA, brown ale, stout). The menu is typical American restaurant fare, with the exception of the wood-fired pizzas. You can order these in any combination of sauces and toppings you want, in addition to the typical prefabricated combos. The atmosphere is also typical American-restaurant, with lots of wood and brass. The bar staff is helpful and friendly.
As an interesting side note, the Rock Bottom here in Atlanta is actually affiliated with the Gordon-Biersch Restaurant Group rather than the national Rock Bottom chain. Some fairly involved corporate politics led the Big River brewing operation (a partner with Rock Bottom in the locations in the Atlanta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C., locations) to take full control of the Rock Bottom here and in Charlotte. Big River, in turn, is a unit of the Gordon-Biersch operation.
Twain's Billiards and Tap
Address: 211 E Trinity Pl, Decatur, GA 30030 (Cross Street: Church Street)
Phone: (404) 373-0063
Hours: Family friendly before 9 p.m, 21 and older after 9.
Website: http://www.twains.net/
Twain’s has been a beer geek haven in Decatur for a while, but until January 2007, it was just a beer bar. After some renovations and an expansion to allow for a brew house, Twain’s reopened as Decatur’s own brewpub. It still have a small selection of quality guest brews, but former Dogwood Brewing Co. brewer Jordan Fleetwood’s creations should keep you from wanting to try the other beers. With the expansion, there’s now more room to sit, but there are still plenty of pool tables, dart boards, shuffleboard tables, and other bar games to keep you entertained while drinking their beer.
